A smart card reader and transaction system which uses the voice path of a switched telephone network to effect smart card transactions are described. The smart card reader may be used with either a regular telephone or an ADSI telephone. If the telephone is not a handsfree set, the smart card reader is preferably connected between the base set and the handset. If the telephone is a handsfree model, the card reader is positioned between the base set and the switched telephone network. A smart card application server controls the smart card reader and switches it between a user mode and a card communications mode. Most applications software resides on the application server so that the smart card reader is simple to construct and inexpensive to manufacture. The advantage is a simple, portable, inexpensive yet reliable system adapted to be owned and used by the general public.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A portable smart card reader adapted for communication with an application server using a voice path of a switched telephone network, comprising: a smart card reader/writer unit for reading information from and writing information to a smart card; a front-end connected to a telephone line shared by a telephone terminal, the front-end being linked to the smart card reader/writer unit and adapted to selectively connect the smart card reader/writer unit to the telephone line to enable communication with the application server and to selectively disconnect the smart card reader/writer unit from the telephone line to permit a keypad of the telephone terminal to be used as a user interface for input of information during a smart card transaction session; and a micro-controller adapted to control operation of the smart card reader/writer unit and the front-end.
2. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the front-end, is adapted to be connected in series between a base set and a handset of the telephone terminal.
3. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 2 wherein the micro-controller controls a mode selection between a card communication mode and a user input mode during a card transaction session, and mutes the handset in the card communication mode.
4. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a display unit associated with the micro-controller for displaying information.
5. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a modem circuit linked between the micro-controller and the front-end for transmitting an electronic signal.
6. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 5 wherein the front-end comprises a switch controlled by the micro-controller for alternate connection of the base set with the handset or with the modem circuit to complete the mode selection.
7. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 6 further comprising a monitoring unit associated with the micro-controller and the switch for resetting the micro-controller and disconnecting the smart card reader from the handset if the card reader fails.
8. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a connection detector associated with the micro-controller and the front-end for detecting a connection signal sent from the application server to activate the card communication mode.
9. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a connection generator associated with the micro-controller and the front-end for sending out a connection signal.
10. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 6 wherein the switch connects the base set with the handset in a normal closed condition to ensure that the user input mode is a default mode.
11. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the smart card reader/writer unit comprises a slot for receiving insertion of the smart card.
12. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of function keys as a user interface for function interaction.
13. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 1 wherein the micro-controller comprises memories and software to support inter-smart card applications.
14. A smart card reader as claimed in claim 4 wherein the display unit comprises liquid crystal display (LCD) for brief status message display.
15. A smart card transaction system that uses a voice path through a switched telephone network to perform smart card transactions, comprising: an application server connected to the switched telephone network; a telephone terminal connected to the switched telephone network by a telephone line, the telephone terminal having a keypad; and a portable smart card reader adapted to communicate with the application server, comprising: a smart card reader/writer unit for reading information from and writing information to a smart card; a front-end connected to the telephone line and linked to the smart card reader/writer unit, the front-end being adapted to selectively connect the smart card reader/writer unit to the telephone line for communication with the application server and selectively disconnect the smart card reader/writer unit from the telephone line to permit a keypad of the telephone terminal to be used as a user interface for input of information during a smart card transaction session; and a micro-controller adapted to control operation of the smart card reader/writer unit and the front-end.
16. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the telephone terminal comprises a base set with the keypad and a handset, the front-end of the card reader being connected in series between the base set and the handset.
17. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the micro-controller controls a mode selection between a card communication mode and a user input mode during the card transaction session, and mutes the handset in the card communication mode.
18. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the smart card reader comprises a modem circuit linked between the micro-controller and the front-end for transmitting electronic signals.
19. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the front-end comprises a switch controlled by the micro-controller for alternate connection of the base set with the handset or with the modem circuit to complete the mode selection.
20. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the smart card reader comprises a monitoring unit associated with the micro-controller and the switch for resetting the micro-controller and disconnecting from the handset if the card reader fails.
21. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the smart card reader comprises a display unit associated with the micro-controller for displaying information.
22. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the smart card reader comprises a connection signal detector associated with the micro-controller and the front-end for detecting a connection signal sent from the application server to activate the card communication mode.
23. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the smart card reader comprises a connection signal generator associated with the micro-controller and the front-end for sending out a connection signal.
24. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the switch connects the base set with the handset in a normally closed condition to ensure the telephone is in a user mode when the smart card reader is not in use.
25. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the smart card reader/writer unit comprises a slot for receiving insertion of the smart card.
26. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the smart card reader comprises a plurality of function keys as a user interface for function interaction.
27. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the micro-controller comprises memories and software to support inter-smart card applications without communication with the application server.
28. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the display comprises liquid crystal display (LCD) for brief status message display.
29. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the application server comprises: application software for providing services; a first interface associated with the application software to communicate with and control the telephone terminal; and a second interface associated with the application software to communicate with and control the smart card reader.
30. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the second interface generates a connection signal to prompt the smart card reader to switch to the card communications mode.
31. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 29 wherein the first interface provides the functions of: playing voice prompts; communication using analogue display service interface (ADSI) signal; and primary rate interface (PRI) communication link.
32. A smart card transaction system as claimed in claim 29 wherein the application server comprises an interactive voice response (IVR) unit for voice prompts.
33. A method of using a voice path through a switched telephone network for a smart card transaction comprising the steps of: a) connecting a smart card reader to a telephone line that provides telephone service to a telephone terminal; b) receiving, at an application server which is connected to the switched telephone network, a call for the smart card transaction from the telephone terminal connected to the telephone line; c) verifying from the application server that a smart card reader is connected to the telephone line of the switched telephone network and a smart card is properly associated therewith; d) receiving at the application server smart card user ID information which is input using a keypad of the telephone terminal in a user input mode; e) verifying at the application server the smart card user ID information by retrieving smart card user ID information from the smart card in a card communication mode and comparing the retrieved information with the input information; f) receiving at the application server transaction information which is input from the keypad in the user input mode; g) exchanging transaction data between the smart card and the application server in the card communication mode; whereby the application server is adapted to prompt the smart card reader to switch selectively between the user input mode that permits input through the keypad of the telephone terminal and the card communication mode that permits information exchange between the smart card and the application server.
34. A method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the user input mode is a default mode.
35. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the application server sends a connection signal to activate the switching from the user input mode to the card communication mode.
36. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the card communication mode mutes a handset of the telephone terminal.
37. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the application server sends the connection signal to activate the switching from the user input mode to the card communication mode for step b.
38. A method as claimed in claim 35 further comprising the steps after the communication of the telephone terminal with the application server is established: sending transaction menu messages from the application server to the telephone terminal to guide users through the card transaction session.
39. A method as claimed in claim 35 further comprising the step of: executing an action at the application server on receipt of an input signal from a function key associated with the smart card reader when the smart card reader is in the card communication mode and the function key is pressed.
40. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the smart card reader is connected in series between the handset and a base set of the telephone terminal.
41. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the application server communicates with and controls the telephone terminal through a first interface, and communicates with and controls the smart card reader through a second interface, the first and second interfaces being associated with software programs for enabling transaction services.
42. A method as claimed in claim 41 wherein the software programs guide users through transaction menus using analog display service interface (ADSI) signal and voice prompts via the first interface when the telephone terminal is an ADSI telephone.
43. A method as claimed in claim 42 wherein the software programs guide users through transaction menus using an interactive voice response (IVR) unit for voice prompts via the first interface when the telephone terminal is not an ADSI telephone.
44. A method as claimed in claim 42 wherein the application server switches the ADSI telephone to a voice mode when the application server communicates with the smart card reader.
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October 26, 1998
February 3, 2004
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